Wearable hip joint-action detectors

Abstract

An activity detector worn on or in the vicinity of the waist detects hip-joint actions of the user, by using a proximity sensor in the activity detector to sense the separation between the activity detector housing and a body target linked by the hip joint. For example, when the housing of an activity detector adjacent to the lower abdomen incorporates one or more sensing plates of a capacitive proximity sensor, flexion, extension, abduction, or adduction of the hip joint can be detected as the separation between the sensing plates and the lower abdomen changes. Besides the lower abdomen, alternative body targets include the thigh, buttocks, etc. Besides capacitive proximity sensors, alternative proximity sensors include active infrared proximity sensors, imaging sensors, etc. The activity detector can also incorporate an accelerometer to obtain additional movement and orientation data, which can be combined with the separation data to detect more complex activities.

We claim: 
     
       1. A hip joint-action detector comprising:
 (a) a housing adapted to be worn on or in the vicinity of the waist of a user in the proximity of a hip joint of the user; 
 (b) a proximity sensor incorporated in said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of a body target linked by said hip joint of the user for obtaining separation data between said housing and said body target through an air gap; and 
 (c) a joint-action detector for using said separation data obtained by said proximity sensor to detect at least one joint action of said hip joint of the user. 
 
     
     
       2. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 1  wherein said proximity sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor. 
     
     
       3. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein a sensing plate of said capacitive proximity sensor is incorporated at the front of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the front of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said sensing plate to detect at least one of flexion or extension of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       4. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein a sensing plate of said capacitive proximity sensor is incorporated at the front of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the buttock of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the buttock of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the front of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said sensing plate to detect at least one of flexion or extension of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       5. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein a sensing plate of said capacitive proximity sensor is incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said sensing plate to detect flexion of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       6. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein a sensing plate of said capacitive proximity sensor is incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said sensing plate to detect at least one of flexion or extension of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       7. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein sensing plates of said capacitive proximity sensor comprises a front sensing plate incorporated at the front of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, and a bottom sensing plate incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the front of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said front sensing plate and/or between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said bottom sensing plate to detect at least one of flexion or extension of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       8. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 3  wherein said joint-action detector uses a capacitance threshold for said separation data to detect at least one of flexion or extension of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       9. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 2  wherein a plurality of sensing plates of said capacitive proximity sensor are incorporated at the front of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the front of said housing and said body target obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said plurality of sensing plates to detect at least one of flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, flexion combined with abduction, flexion combined with adduction, extension combined with abduction, or extension combined with adduction of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       10. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 3  further comprises:
 (a) an accelerometer in said housing for obtaining acceleration data of the waist of the torso of the user; and 
 (b) a physical-activity detector for using said separation data obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor and said acceleration data obtained by said accelerometer to detect at least one physical activity of the user. 
 
     
     
       11. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 3  further comprises:
 (a) an active infrared proximity sensor incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user for obtaining bottom separation data between the bottom of said housing and the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user; and 
 (b) an infrared joint-action detector for using said bottom separation data obtained by said active infrared proximity sensor to detect at least one of abduction or adduction of said hip joint of the user. 
 
     
     
       12. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 1  wherein said proximity sensor is an active infrared proximity sensor. 
     
     
       13. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 12  wherein said active infrared proximity sensor is incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said active infrared proximity sensor to detect flexion of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       14. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 13  wherein said joint-action detector uses an infrared-light intensity threshold for said separation data to detect flexion of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       15. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 12  wherein said active infrared proximity sensor comprising a plurality of infrared LEDs is incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said active infrared proximity sensor using said plurality of infrared LEDs to detect at least one of flexion, abduction, adduction, flexion combined with abduction, or flexion combined with adduction of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       16. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 1  wherein said proximity sensor is an imaging sensor incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, so that said body target is the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, and said joint-action detector uses said separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target obtained by said imaging sensor to detect at least one of flexion, abduction, adduction, flexion combined with abduction, or flexion combined with adduction of said hip joint of the user. 
     
     
       17. A hip joint-action detector comprising:
 (a) a housing adapted to be worn on or in the vicinity of the waist in the proximity of a hip joint of a user; 
 (b) a capacitive proximity sensor; 
 (c) a front sensing plate, which is electrically connected to a front-sensing channel of said capacitive proximity sensor, incorporated at the front of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user for obtaining front separation data between the front of said housing and the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user; and 
 (d) a front detection means for using said front separation data obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said front sensing plate to detect sitting of the user. 
 
     
     
       18. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 17  further comprises:
 (a) a bottom sensing plate, which is electrically connected to a bottom-sensing channel of said capacitive proximity sensor, incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user for obtaining bottom separation data between the bottom of said housing and the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user; and 
 (b) a sitting detection means for using said front separation data obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said front sensing plate and/or said bottom separation data obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor using said bottom sensing plate to detect sitting of the user. 
 
     
     
       19. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 17  further comprises a bottom sensing plate, which is electrically connected to said front sensing plate, incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user, whereby said front sensing plate incorporated at the front of said housing further comprises said bottom sensing plate incorporated at the bottom of said housing. 
     
     
       20. A hip joint-action detector comprising:
 (a) a housing adapted to be worn on or in the vicinity of the waist in the proximity of a hip joint of a user; 
 (b) a proximity sensor incorporated at the bottom of said housing and adapted to be in the proximity of a body target, which is the lower abdomen of the torso linked by said hip joint of the user or the thigh of the upper leg that is linked to the torso by said hip joint of the user, for obtaining separation data between the bottom of said housing and said body target through an air gap; and 
 (c) a detection means for using said separation data obtained by said proximity sensor to detect sitting of the user. 
 
     
     
       21. A hip joint-action detector adapted to be worn on or in the vicinity of the waist of a user in the proximity of a hip joint of the user, comprising:
 (a) a proximity sensor adapted to be in the proximity of a body target linked by said hip joint of the user for obtaining separation data between said proximity sensor and said body target through an air gap; and 
 (b) a joint-action detector for using said separation data obtained by said proximity sensor to detect at least one joint action of said hip joint of the user. 
 
     
     
       22. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 21  wherein said proximity sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor. 
     
     
       23. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 21  wherein said proximity sensor is an active infrared proximity sensor. 
     
     
       24. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 21  wherein said proximity sensor is an imaging sensor. 
     
     
       25. The hip joint-action detector according to  claim 21  further comprises:
 (a) an accelerometer for obtaining acceleration data of the waist of the torso of the user; and 
 (b) a physical-activity detector for using said separation data obtained by said capacitive proximity sensor and said acceleration data obtained by said accelerometer to detect at least one physical activity of the user.